Remembering When: Angel Food Cake

I adore children’s books. As a mother of three I have spent hours and hours in the children’s section of my favorite bookstores looking through the beautifully illustrated picture books that line their shelves and displays. I have often left with more books than I’d planned on. I bought some for gifts, some for my children’s education and sometimes I even found a special one just for myself.

Knowing our fondness for books we also received many wonderful books as birthday and Christmas gifts. Our collection grew and grew.

Treasures from Childhood

Now that the children are older and seldom look through our library of collected children’s books I still have a hard time putting them in storage or giving them away. Some are so well-written, weaving clever and concise descriptions with fundamental truths about life and complex relationships. Some arepacked with wisdom, some with poetry, others with lush or inspired illustrations. Many are quite special to me.

For a time when my daughter was young we had a favorite story about angels and family and kitchen magic. “The High Rise Glorious Skittle Skat Roarious Sky Pie Angel Food Cake” took it’s  unusual name from the only thing the main character’s mother would say that she wanted for her birthday.

It was an odd tale, to be sure, but it struck a chord with my daughter and she asked to read it often. Maybe it was the quirky family she identified with. Maybe it was the colorfully beguiling illustrations. Or maybe she just liked Angel Food Cake. Who can say? Whatever the attraction we read it again and again. Occasionally, when we had time and opportunity, we even baked our own Angel Food Cake.

Inspired Baking

If I remember right there was a recipe in the back of that book. For something as basic as Angel Food Cake, however, I prefer to bake from a recipe that is tried and true and has been tucked away in my own recipe file for years. That is not to say I am averse to secret ingredients or other embellishments suggested by the story that inspired us.  It’s just that this recipe for Angel Food Cake has never failed me, ever since my first attempts as a young and inexperienced baker.

This recipe produces a glorious “High Rise” Angel Food Cake that is dependably light in texture and, when served alone or with fresh berries, is light in calories too. For many, that makes it a sweet indulgence and a perfect any-occasion dessert. For those who are indifferent to such concerns it is also delicious when paired with a chocolate glaze and sweetened whipped cream.

Angel Food Cake

1¾ cup egg whites (from approx. 13 large eggs)

1 cup sifted cake flour

1½ cups sugar, divided

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

While still cold from the refrigerator, separate the eggs. Measure the whites and pour them into the large bowl of an electric mixer. Allow the egg whites to warm to room temperature (approximately 1 hour).

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift the flour. Measure then sift again with ¾ cup of the sugar. Sift the flour and sugar two more times.

With the whisk attachment (if you have one, regular beaters if not), beat egg whites on low speed until foamy.

Add salt, cream of tartar, vanilla and almond (if desired) extracts. Beat at high speed until soft peaks form.

Continue beating adding the remaining ¾ cup of sugar gradually, a tablespoon or two at a time. Beat on high until stiff peaks form as the beater is slowly raised from the egg whites. Remove the beaters, or whisk attachment, and set aside.

Sprinkle ¼ of the flour mixture over the egg whites. With a whisk or rubber spatula gently fold the flour into the egg whites with an under-and-over motion, just until the flour disappears (about 15 strokes).

Turn the bowl ¼ turn and repeat the step above. Do this three times, until all of the flour mixture has been folded into the egg whites.

With a rubber spatula, gently push the batter into an ungreased 10-inch Angel Food Cake pan or tube pan. With a knife, cut through the batter twice to remove any large air bubbles. Smooth the top of the batter.

On the lowest oven rack, bake at 375 degrees for 30 – 35 minutes, or until top springs back when pressed lightly with your fingertip. Turn the cake upside down over the neck of a bottle (such as a wine bottle) to cool completely – about one to two hours.

With a knife, loosen the cake from the sides of the pan and turn it out onto a serving platter.

Serves 12

Chocolate Glaze

1 cup whipping cream

8 ounce semisweet chocolate, chopped or chips

1 teaspoon vanilla

Scald the cream in a heavy saucepan over high heat.

Add vanilla and chocolate and stir for 1 minute.

Remove from the heat. Continue stirring until all chocolate is melted. Place pan in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.

Pour glaze across the top of the cake. Use a wide bladed knife or pastry brush to smooth the glaze across the top of the cake letting some of the chocolate drip down the sides, if desired. Or simply drizzle the glaze over slices of cake before serving.

Hints:

  • The trick here is to begin beating the egg whites when they are at room temperature. Make sure the bowl and beaters (or whisk attachment) are completely clean and grease free. This will maximize the volume of the beaten eggs.
  • Be gentle with the batter. Once the eggs are fully beaten use a light hand in folding in the flour and transferring the batter to the baking pan.
  • Relax! While these hints will help you to make the lightest Angel Food Cake possible, I have never had an Angel Food Cake fail and never baked one that didn’t feel and taste better than the store-bought variety. Angel Food Cake may sound complicated to bake but once you have worked through the process it’s pretty simple and even fun. I always enjoy the beauty of those snowy white peaks of beaten egg whites glimmering with a sugary gloss.

Leftover Cake? Refresh the taste and texture by putting slices of Angel Food Cake in the toaster. When golden smear the slices with a little jam or chocolate glaze. Toasting the cake gives the flavor a slight burnt sugar depth that I find very appealing.

So don’t be put off. Try one for yourself. Fanciful touches inspired by picture books are optional.

Enjoy!

9 Comments

  1. I never tried a angel food cake.
    Interesting recipe and great blog

  2. theUngourmet

    We still have favorite books from when the kids were little. It's hard to part with them. 🙂

    I haven't attempted Angel Food cake…yet. Your cake is gorgeous! I love the idea of toasting a slice!

  3. toasted angel food cake? AWESOME idea. i made the stuff from scratch exactly once and decided that it wasn't worth the hassle. that's my slothitude shining through. 🙂

  4. My grandma always did angel food cake for birthdays:)

  5. Anonymous

    My mother and my grandmother used to make angel food cakes and give them away to everybody under the sun. Now I make them, too. When my mom passed away last year, our pastor's wife found that same book for me on Amazon, and gave me a copy…made for a very sweet memory. I can't imagine why anybody would buy a grocery made AF cake when they are so easy to make.

  6. Wow, I love angel food cake! My mom made it all the time and served it with fresh fruit and whipped cream. Now you have me practically drooling, Lisa. I looked for a boxed mix a few months ago and Fred Meyer doesn't carry it any more and I don't know what happened to the angel food cake pan with the removable bottom that I once owned.

  7. Anonymous – Ha! That book came up in a conversation here not long ago. It's funny how some things just stick with you forever.

    Hi Kate! I have to admit, I have a weakness for Chocolate Glaze. A slice of day old cake that is still hot from the toaster and is spread with a little of that glaze is my favorite!

  8. Kathy Walker

    I remember angel food cake from childhood. It was so good! Love the drizzle of chocolate on yours.

  9. Anonymous

    Who made you the boss, Banana Monkey?

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